Nigeria’s public health experts are urging citizens to take preventive measures against yellow fever, as the rainy season approaches.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has warned of a potential outbreak, and physicians are advising Nigerians to get vaccinated and maintain good environmental hygiene to prevent the spread of the disease.
Anyone experiencing feverish symptoms is advised to seek medical attention immediately, and experts warn against using herbal remedies, which can cause harm and worsen health outcomes.
The NCDC has noted that yellow fever, like cholera, can spread quickly during the rainy season, and the increase in cases is attributed to the growing presence of mosquitoes, which transmit the disease.
According to the NCDC Director-General, Dr. Jide Idris, yellow fever is a vaccine-preventable disease that can spread rapidly, and prompt action is crucial to prevent an outbreak.
Idris noted, “Many people don’t experience symptoms, but when they occur, the most common are fever, muscle pain with prominent back pain, headache, loss of appetite, and nausea or vomiting.
“In most cases, symptoms disappear after three to four days.”
The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Idris, warned that some individuals may experience severe symptoms of yellow fever, including high fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, jaundice, and dark urine, which can lead to liver and kidney failure and even death within 7-10 days in half of the severe cases.
However, he emphasized that the disease is preventable with a single dose of the yellow fever vaccine, which is safe, affordable, and provides lifelong immunity.
According to the World Health Organization, 34 African and 13 Central and South American countries are endemic for yellow fever, putting approximately 160 million Nigerians at risk. As of April 30, 2022, the NCDC reported 589 suspected cases in 288 Local Government Areas.
Naijatraffic discovered that, Public health expert Dr. Tuyi Mebawondu cautioned that flooding creates an ideal breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitoes and parasites, contaminating drinking and surface water, and putting those who wade through floodwaters at risk of infection.
“Now, one of the challenges of flooding is the contamination of water, which can lead to cholera, the excessive breeding of mosquitoes as the water is receding, which can lead to more malaria and yellow fever cases.
“You are aware that yellow fever is arthropod-borne, and is caused by mosquitoes, the yellow fever virus is being transmitted by mosquitoes.
“Indeed, there are two varieties of yellow fever, there’s the jungle yellow fever, and there’s what we call the city yellow fever, in a way. Now, the mosquito, the Aedes aegypti, that causes the city yellow fever, actually bites during the day, unlike the one that causes malaria, which usually feeds during the night.
So, if you see a mosquito biting you during the day, don’t just imagine that it’s nothing, it could be a mosquito that can carry yellow fever,” the public health expert said.
Dr. Mebawondu explained that monkeys and other animals serve as reservoirs for yellow fever, and when mosquitoes feed on them, they become carriers of the disease, transmitting it to humans through their bites.
He emphasized the importance of getting vaccinated against yellow fever, noting that the vaccine provides long-lasting protection, unlike the cholera vaccine.
Meanwhile, Dr. Babatunde Adewumi, a Public Health specialist, warned that stagnant water around homes can increase the risk of breeding disease-carrying mosquitoes that can spread yellow fever and malaria.
He recommended regular spraying of insecticides and other chemicals into stagnant water to prevent mosquito breeding.
Additionally, Adewumi advocated for mass yellow fever vaccination and access to clean drinking water to prevent the further spread of cholera.
“People should ensure that they sleep under mosquito nets and during the day, they can use topical mosquito repellent. Another thing they can do at this time is that people who have not been vaccinated against yellow fever should try to get the vaccine, especially at this point to prevent them from getting the disease.
“Also, environmental control is very important. The government should try as much as possible to get rid of stagnant water and refuse in the environment and ensure that those places are as dry and clean as they can.
Before we get to this level, policies should have been made to ensure that these things should not happen by placing sanctions. It is very important that at this point we monitor and do things that will prevent the breeding of mosquitoes that can cause yellow fever,” the doctor said.
Dr. Adewumi pointed out that while yellow fever’s symptoms may resemble those of other fevers, distinct indicators include yellowing of the eyes and skin, extreme weakness, bleeding, abdominal pain, and muscle cramps.
However, he acknowledged that prevention during the rainy season is challenging due to poor sanitation and flooding, which may force people to wade through contaminated waters, increasing their risk of infection.
“It is not just cholera and yellow fever that can happen at this time. People can actually have things like schistosomiasis and other parasitic infections,” he said.
Dr. Adewumi appealed to the government to establish a proper drainage system, enabling rainwater to flow freely and preventing flooding.
He also encouraged Nigerians to maintain good hygiene practices, such as frequent handwashing, and to avoid contaminating water sources by refraining from defecating and dumping waste into them.
“A safe environment starts with you and me. Let’s ensure that dirt is not deliberately poured into the gutters, don’t burn things on the street, and don’t defecate anywhere and anyhow. The government should bring back the era of environmental officers to check these things before they happen to us.
“Also, there should be a good forecast for us that this is going to happen. We should plan for these things before they happen and we should not just be reactive,” the doctor further advised.
Dr. Adewumi advocated for the government to take proactive measures against mosquito breeding by distributing insecticides on a large scale or applying larvicides to stagnant water bodies, thereby preventing the spread of disease-carrying mosquitoes.
